I think I'm a part of the first generation of journalists to skip print media entirely, and I've learned a lot these last few years at Forbes. My work has appeared on TVOvermind, IGN, and most importantly, a segment on The Colbert Report at one point. Feel free to follow me on Twitter or on Facebook, write me on Facebook or just email at paultassi(at)gmail(dot)com. I'm also almost finished with my sci-fi novel series, The Earthborn Trilogy.

Why Deus Ex: Human Revolution is My Game of the Year

If you tuned in to Insert Coin yesterday, you probably caught my longwinded explanation of why I was in fact NOT choosing Skyrim as my game of the year, something that has seemed like a forgone conclusion for many critics and fans since its release a few weeks ago.

I won’t rehash my major points, but suffice to say I thought two titles stood out above it, Portal 2 and Deus Ex: Human Revolution as both had creative gameplay and compelling stories, two areas where despite all its successes, I found Skyrim lacking.

What surprised some more than my ranking Skyrim third was the fact that I have Deus Ex at number one. I haven’t seen anyone else choose it as GOTY, and it doesn’t even make a lot of top ten lists, as this has been a banner year for gaming with many, many quality titles released.

It’s easier to criticize than it is to praise, but I didn’t want my only mention of the game to be in a piece that mostly focused on another title. That’s why I felt I should share a bit about why Deus Ex hit all the right notes with me.

GOTY is ultimately about personal preference. I could have easily given the honor to Portal 2, as there are almost no flaws in that game whatsoever. But something about Deus Ex captivated me, and it’s one of the only titles I can remember playing through twice, back to back, and after loving it the first time, somehow enjoying it even more the second.

The world Eidos Montreal has created is part Matrix, part Blade Runner and part Neuromancer. It’s a dystopian future where the way the world ends is not with a meteor or nuclear war, but with the endless pursuit of mankind to improve itself.

The focus of the game is augmentations, mechanical enhancements to the body which provide basic services like restoring lost limbs to the injured, but also serve to weaponize the human frame into something terrifying.

The trailer, in my opinion the best of the year, video game, movie or otherwise, sums up the story better than I can, and I highly recommend giving it a watch below.

The game combines elements of first person shooter gameplay, stealth mechanics a-la Metal Gear Solid or Splinter Cell, and a touch of free roaming exploration, even if its world is relatively small compared to say, Skyrim.

There are basically two ways to progress through the game. Either you can be a ghost, sneaking through the levels unseen through secret passageways, taking enemies down with non-lethal force, or you can be a full-on Rambo, upgrading your exoskeleton with armor and the ability to shoot explosives in every direction as you unload automatic weapons into any nearby guard.

Playing through using both styles, I found myself experiencing two entirely different games, both equally fun. Stealth made Deus Ex something of a puzzle, and allowed to utilize the expertly designed levels that allowed you to make your way through a guarded room in many different ways. There was combat sure, but little of it, and the main focus was remaining as unseen as you possibly could manage. It’s even possible to make it through the entire game without killing a single soul, and there’s an achievement for doing so. How many modern shooters can you say that about?

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Two majors factors had to do with my less than thrilled reaction, but i am not trying to claim it was a bad game by any means. Its like you said it was like you were playing Neo and this is because for all intensive purposes you were. Eidos-Montreal created an almost exactly perfect Keanu Reeves archetype including a voice that sounds like the offspring of the actor and Christian Bale’s Batman. The second major problem i had with the game was that you were supposed to be taking the role of a robot precision lethal machine and yet you had restricted hand to hand combat. Personally not being able to do minor hand to hand killed it, i wasn’t looking to knock them out in one hit or kill them in one i just wanted more to be the killing machine with my body than just the guns. I did appreciate the story along with its metaphoric undertones and i thought the stock footage ending was badass. I think absolutely Deus Ex had the oppurtunity to have game of the year yet it was a brilliant game that could have been executed so much better.

@Paul – Not sure I completely agree with Deus Ex as GOTY, but it’s hard to argue against it being one of the best games in years. For 2011, I’d rank this as second, after Skyrim (for obvious reasons) and tied with Arkham City (story, gameplay, etc.). Then Portal 2. Loved the story telling aspect in Deus Ex. If video games are analogous to books, then Deus Ex is a dramatic novel, whereas Skyrim is a choose your own adventure book. They both bring something unique to the table…

@sdastous. Thanks for making such a great game. Loved the audio and the environments your team created. Also, I’m a huge fan of the story recaps that played during the load screens. Also, thanks for creating a relatively realistic protagonist. As much as I enjoy walking into a room filled with baddies and daring them to kill me (Batman: AC), I enjoyed the fact that if I got outnumbered, I’d definitely be slaughtered… A great change from the norm! (This is my first time responding directly to a game maker re: a game I loved, so… thanks).

I totally agree, it’s my GOTY too. I think we need more cyberpunk, more detailed hub-based action/rpgs (like Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, which I found similar in terms of gameplay structure), and more mature settings.

Skyrim was a good game, but nothing compared to this great game. It had its flaws, as you said, but I really hope they could make a worthy sequel; bigger, deeper and darker.

I also must comment on how the art direction in Deus Ex is one of the most beautiful and sophisticated I have ever seen. The amber yellow color pallet reminds one of he chiaroscuro painting technique employed by great painters of the past, and the game is also littered with references to ancient mythology and fashion. This blend of renaissance and cyberpunk future make for a very unique feel for the world, perhaps signifying how the augmentation technology at the time is the birth of a new age for humanity similar to how the renaissance was a rebirth of knowledge, art and beauty. Portal 2 was a flawless experience that can be accessed by all, but for someone more informed and knowledgeable, Deus Ex Human Revolution is more stimulating.